Alexandra Eala Rocks in Third Top Ten Career Win

It’s Day 3 of a stacked card of action at the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. An entertained crowd has come from watching big name favorites Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina breeze through their opening matches without losing a set. A more intriguing match-up awaits with two characteristically similar players in Alexandra Eala and Jasmine Paolini facing off for a place in round three.

Alexandra Eala Records Impressive Victory

Similar Styles

They both have to deal with the limiting physical factor of a smaller frame in a sport that has become increasingly powerful and serve orientated, even on the women’s side. Eala, standing at 5’7″, is far from the tallest, but even she is comfortably taller than Paolini’s 5’4″.

Yet, what they may not have in stature, they make up for in intensity. They both own a certain charisma and speed on court, which allows them to punch above their weight. Eala, of course, is much earlier in her development but showed incredibly promising signs last year, including a shock victory over Iga Swiatek at Miami.

Since reaching back-to-back Grand Slam finals in 2024, Paolini has proved a late bloomer and cemented herself in the top ten. Although, she headed into this match looking to right the wrongs of a 2026 in which she has only won two matches. Overall, she had won just two of her last seven heading into this one.

A Whirlwind Start

Eala essentially had home advantage heading into this one. 20% of the Emirate residents originate from the Philippines and they certainly made themselves heard. They were entertained from the off, with Eala bursting into life with a 6-1 opening set. It was simply put, high quality tennis, which added fuel to the fire of an already buoyant crowd.

Paolini held early on with a strong opening service game. These moments are always so crucial. After a one sided set, it’s important to rewrite the script and halt momentum at the beginning. Yet, it would prove to be a temporary blockage rather than a genuine shift, as the 20 year old raced into a 5-3 lead. She was so comfortably aggressive, removing Paolini’s time while taking the ball early, particularly on the backhand side.

Yet Paolini showed the fighting spirit that has propelled her to the top of the women’s game in recent times. She saved three match points, reeled off three straight games and Eala was soon serving to stay alive, facing two set points.

When underdogs fail to take a chance, you so often see their head drop. Against the higher ranked player, they can often feel like they’ve blown their opportunity.

Edging Out A Victory

Yet, Eala showed a remarkable mentality to continue to stick with the aggressive game plan that had put her in the promising position, even if its effectiveness was somewhat wavering. She saved both set points, one with a back in behind forehand winner and another with an aggressive backhand forcing an error. On both occasions, she was the one inside the court and dictating play.

A shot-making paradise of a tiebreak would await, with both women teeing off in a wonderful exhibition of aggressive tennis. With aggressive returning positions, they looked to seize the initiative early but were often compromised by equally good counter-punching skills.

So, in many ways, it was fitting that on match point, the Filipino finished an outstanding 12-shot rally with a forehand winner, right on the line. She placed her hands on her head, overcome with emotion, the ecstatic crowd arose. She said after the match,

“…I’m really happy to have gotten through. (Paolini) is a great opponent, obviously, being Top 10 and a former champion here, so to be able to compete with her at this level is a great achievement for me. In the tiebreak, I was trying everything to keep myself in check. At the change of ends, I was thinking, you know, this stadium is full of Filipinos. I thought, ‘How many of them are probably praying for me to win?’ So I really had to give everything I got.”

The Last 16 Awaits

She next faces Sorana Cirstea in a bid to reach the quarterfinal. Should she bring the same level of game to that occasion, you’d have to fancy her chances. Overall, it’s been up and down since breaking onto the scene in Miami last year, yet it’s days like this that contain such promise for her journey. Maybe, just maybe, she can take another big step throughout the week.